Pubdate: Tue, 04 Mar 2003
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2003, Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact:  http://www.fyiottawa.com/ottsun.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Author: Mack Mcleod
Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by newshawk

SIMPLE LOGIC 

I'm amongst the 72% of the age 40-49 group who say that regulation and
legalization are the only sensible way to control marijuana.

It isn't media reports of suffering cancer patients, but rather simple
compassion for the ill, that makes me believe that marijuana should be
available to the sick who claim it helps them. Compassion doesn't ask for
proof of suffering or medical efficacy. It is only simple logic and
observation which demonstrate that using police, courts and prisons to fight
the potential for drug addiction is just wrong.

After a hundred years of increasing drug prohibition in North America, after
untold billions have been spent, millions of people made criminal and
incarcerated, tons of poisons dropped on the farmlands of producing nations,
what have we achieved? Our prison industry has grown dramatically, as have
the criminal organizations which manufacture and distribute drugs. Drugs
have become more prevalent, more potent and the addiction rate has held at
the same percentage as when we started 100 years ago.

I say we learn our lesson, regulate pot as we do alcohol and move on to more
important issues.

Mack Mcleod

(Very tempting) 
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MAP posted-by: Josh